Words Are Made For Listening
by Jaspers-Girl-and-u-no-it
Summary: After seventy years as a vampire, Bella is free to lead a happy existence on the arm of her true love. When trouble strikes at the prom, though, her life will never be the same as Bella learns why "Words Are Made For Listening."
1. Preparations

"Is this really necessary?" I pleaded, holding up the deep blue dress. Alice only nods, giggling gleefully. The gown was held between my fore-finger and thumb in a way that clearly shouted disapproval.

"Oh, come on," she goaded, squinting her light butterscotch eyes in disappointment. "It's not like you didn't see it coming." I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes at my best friend.

"Alice, not everyone can see the future or read minds like you and Edward can," I reminded her gently, slightly peeved at the fact that I seemed to not have any power to call my own whatsoever.

"Oh, yah." Her lighthearted giggle rang through the room, and I grinned at the sound. It was so easy to amuse Alice, and so rewarding, too. I returned my skeptical gaze to the filmy fabric in my hand, and let out my breath loudly. Not bothering with privacy, both of us being girls, I began to remove my clothes at human speed, stalling for time. When I'd run short on clothes that I was required to remove, I hesitantly slid the admittedly beautiful dress over my curvy body.

Though I despised having to get dressed up for anything, I had to admit that I looked a lot better in this dress than I would have were I still human. The only good part about black tie events, in my opinion, was getting to see Edward in a tux. It took my breath away every time at how striking the ebony was against his ivory skin. I heard an excited squeal sound from my right, and I turned my attention to the ecstatic vampire besides me.

"Edward's going to love it, Bella," she assured me, sensing exactly what I had been worrying about. My nod in response wasn't very convincing, but thankfully, Alice let it go.

"Why do we still do this?" My voice clearly showed my exasperation with this trivial ritual. After over seventy years, prom still didn't appeal to me, the same as the first time around.

"Here." Alice produced a tall pair of heels, and I sighed. Though I wasn't clumsy anymore, wearing high-heels just made me feel like I was jinxing my good balance that was due solely to the fact that I was a vampire. Not in the mood to argue, I quickly snatched the sparkling white shoes from Alice's waiting hands, slipping them on too fast for human eyes to follow. Catching Alice just in time from my puerperal vision, I quickly called doing my own make-up, having already let her choose and buy my dress, and do up my hair in a complicated array of cascading mahogany curls. Not one to take much time on my appearance, I quickly, even for a vampire, lined my eyes, applied mascara and eye-shadow, and smeared gloss over my pouting lips.

"Edward, don't you dare come up here!" Alice's voice rang out, an edge of panic evident in her tone. My heart sped up, and I wished Alice would loosen her hold on everyone's leashes for tonight at the very least, and allow me to see Edward. I briefly wondered if they made vampire-proof duct-tape, so I could silence Alice.

"I'm hurt, Bella. How could you ever consider doing that to me? I thought you loved me!" Alice's voice had just enough threat to ensure I stay in line, but enough hurt to make me feel guilty. Needless to say, it worked every time.

"Wait," I interjected, "I didn't think I was even seriously considering the tape…" I trailed off, wondering how Alice had seen it if I wasn't even sure yet. Unless I _was_ sure…

"Tape? No, I'm talking about your plan to team up with Edward and hold my gown hostage." I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sorry, Alice. I know nothing of such plan, though it _is_ an admittedly good idea." She glared at me, then her eyes glazed over for a split second, her away look morphing swiftly into horror as she rushed to her room.

"Edward, I swear if you don't give me my dress back…" her shrill screaming was unbearably loud, even from across the house, so I could only speculate on how Edward's ears were holding out. His velvety voice informed Alice that he had hung it on a tree in the yard, and she was gone in a flash.

Just as quickly as Alice departed, Edward appeared, his breath warm as it tickled my cool neck, our like temperatures making his cool skin feel as a humans would to another human. It's all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

"Miss me?" his low, gravelly tone had my breath coming in short gasps, and I wanted desperately to claim his lips with my own, so I did. My lip gloss smeared something horrible, but it was well worth it. Feeling his lips moving in synch with my own was as close an analogy to heaven as I could conjure. My fingers twisted themselves into his bronze hair, pulling hard as his tongue tickled the roof of my mouth. He groaned as his hair was yanked, and I almost laughed at the hilarity.

Suddenly, Edward was slammed against the plaster wall across the hall, and a very upset Alice glared up at me, looking comical as she dusted off her clothes from her little encounter with Edward. Her skin seemed to turn an even paler color as she read my intentions in her future, and she backed towards her precious closet protectively. Her small arms were spread wide, and I laughed at how funny she looked. I decided I wouldn't set fire to her wardrobe today, but the next time she broke up a make-out session between Edward and I, there would be hell to pay.

"Relax, Alice, I won't incinerate your clothes." A melodic chuckle rises from the doorway, and I add to my promise quickly. "That is, as long as you let Edward be." She sighed, and defeated, retreated to the room shared by her and Jasper to prepare for the prom. I squeezed the bridge of my nose between my thumb and fore-finger, a habit picked up from Edward.

"Why do we still participate in this ridiculous ritual?" I asked, meaning to be rhetorical. Apparently, though, my question wasn't taken that way, and he answered,

"Because, it helps us to blend in with the humans, and," he took a lock of springy hair and tucked it gently behind one of my ears, which were I still human, would have been flaming, "I would never give up an opportunity to see you in a dress. It's not that I don't like the way you dress, but you're extremely beautiful, and the gown merely brings you're radiant beauty out."

I looked at the ground, not expecting the rise of color in my cheeks that I was accustomed to as a human, seventy-years of vampirism having wiped away my natural born expectations.

"Let's make this a good one, shall we?" Edward nods and gently brings my hand up to his lips, kissing my knuckles in response. We link arms, and continue through the house, at human speed for old times sake, to the waiting Vanquish. As it rumbled to life, I wished feverishly that the time would pass very quickly.

Compared to what was to come, I really shouldn't have been worrying. I had no reason.


	2. Perverts With Ominous News

I was struck when we arrived at the small, Alaskan school, by how seriously the humans seemed to be taking this experience. I sighed in confusion, and could feel Edward's puzzled eyes trained on my own.

"What are you thinking?" he asked me, speaking too quickly for the humans around us to hear. Even after all the years we'd been together, he was still morbidly fascinated by my thoughts. I replied, also too fast for human ears.

"I was just wondering why everyone is taking such a trivial event so seriously. They're acting as though it's going to be their final act before they move on to sleep in a coffin." Edward's eyes were amused, and he shook his head slightly, chuckling to himself. He brought his lips up to my ear, and the feeling of them moving over my skin there as he spoke had me shivering.

"Not everyone has the pleasure of going to prom multiple times," he reminded me, the proximity of his mouth to mine not missed by my seemingly single-track mind.

"I know that," I explained, "it's just, prom has never really been something I've jumped up and down to attend, you know?" He shook his head in teasing exasperation.

"Only you, Bella. Only you." I took such pleasure in the way my name sounded in his beautiful voice, that I decided to be kind and let the unintentional insult in his last sentence slide. I pecked him quickly on the lips, surprising him into silence, and allowed myself a celebratory grin as I pulled him towards the front doors, eager for this night to be over.

I failed to notice as the rest of our family, minus Esme and Carlisle of course, came up behind us. I jumped at Emmett's booming voice, as he greeted me with a happy,

"Hey little sis!" His words were accompanied with a pat on the shoulder, that actually hurt, even though I was a vampire as well. I winced as I popped my shoulder back into place, giving Emmett a playful smile.

"You've got to be more careful, Emmett," I teased. "What happens if you do that to Rosalie during your 'quality time?' Emmett, seemingly unbothered by my obvious mention of his sex life, only laughed and ruffled my hair playfully. He yelped in surprise as Alice grabbed his wrist suddenly, threatening in a low voice to bleach his hair in his sleep, something that would be permanent for a vampire. I was amused at how seriously Alice took messing up my hair, even if she worked on it for hours. I shuddered at the not so distant memory. We all laughed, knowing that Alice's threat was empty, seeing that vampire didn't sleep.

We entered the school under the watchful eyes of Mr. Copperfield, the Principal. Edward confirmed my suspicion that he was on the lookout for drunks and stoners by clutching me tighter and whispering in my ear,

"She's not heroine, buddy. You're over seventy years too late for that." I laughed at his reference to our first day in the meadow while the rest of our family stared at us with confused expressions on their faces. "Shall we?" Edward's glorious voice snapped my head up to look my butterscotch eyes with his hypnotizing ones. His arm, I realized, was held out for me to grab hold of, and I do. I allow him to lead us to the middle of the dance floor, years of proms having erased most of my fears about dancing in a crowd.

"For old times sake," I whispered in his ear, stepping lightly onto his toes with my own. He put his arms around me, and began to dance. Eventually, I stepped off of his feet, and we began twirling with abandon to the beat of the song. At the start of the first slow song, Edward wrapped his arms around me more securely, and I placed my chin on his shoulder comfortably. It's then that I saw him.

With my enhanced vision, the unfamiliar boy's crimson irises weren't hard to spot amongst the human's. He had ear-length, inky-black hair, that waved gently. His red eyes were focused on mine, and I couldn't seem to pull my gaze away. His expression was somewhat hungry, and it reminded me of an old friend. It reminded me of Jacob's right before he kissed me for the last time. I unconsciously shrunk into Edward as much as I possibly could, the admiring eyes unnerving.

Noticing my distress, Edward asked me what's wrong. I pondered my options, and decided that a jealous boyfriend was better than an obsessive man staring at me for the rest of the night.

"That vampire over there is staring at me," I murmured, cowering into Edward.

"Emmett?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice. I shook my head fast.

"No, the one with red eyes." Edward went rigid suddenly, and whipped around to face behind him. The man was still staring at me, a smirk situated on his face. His gaze, I noticed, was trained on my breasts, and I moved self-consciously so that I was standing behind Edward. He let out a low, warning growl, and I didn't stop him for once. I nearly whimpered when the man began moving towards us through the crowd, and it didn't escape my notice that Edward was holding a protective stance in front of me.

As the man approached, I could almost feel an energy coming from him. It was a bad energy. He grinned, extending a hand around Edward and towards me.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Nicholas." His voice, which I was sure was meant to be seductive, only sounded slimy to me and I shrunk away from his hand. He let it drop eventually, completely ignoring Edward who stood right beside me, a constant growl coming from him.

"It's nice to meet you, Edward, Bella." He paused, looking genuinely troubled. "I'm only sorry I don't know you're family's names. I'm afraid I haven't come into contact with them yet, but I can see that you're all very close." His eyes, I've noticed, are fixated on my torso, but I keep up the nerve to not hide this time.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept your eyes away from where they shouldn't be straying," I requested, crossing my arms over my chest. Edward's displeasure increased immensely at that, and I was sure he was going to dismember the man right here, right now. Not that I would have protested, but there _were_ humans around, so I figured it best to make them stop.

"Would you guys mind taking this to the woods near the building?" I pleaded, wrapping my arms around Edward's waist in an attempt to keep him from doing anything stupid. Edward nodded tensely, and with that we began walking to the hallway. Once out the exit door, which we propped open with a brick, we sprinted quickly into the cover of the woods to talk.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop looking at my wife in such a vulgar way," Edward told Nicholas, the strain in his voice showed how hard he had to work not to lose it. Nicholas nodded, but didn't comply at first. He eventually sighed, and brought his gaze up from my chest. I shivered, and Edward pulled me to him harder in a protective manner. I snuggled into him, breathing in his relaxing aroma.

"I've come to warn you for the Volturi…"

"Yes, I know," hissed Edward. "I know what you're going to say, now please leave." Nicholas simply shrugged, not looking the least bit surprised. He winked at me as he turned to go, licking his lips once before running off into the night.

"Holy crow," I mumbled, feeling extremely violated. Edward pulled me to him viciously, burying my head into the crook of his neck. "So, what did the Volturi have to say?" I asked. The memory of the human drinking, peacekeepers had my voice shaking. Edward didn't say anything for a while, seemingly hesitant to worry me. I pulled away from him slightly to press a lingering kiss to his lips, and he sighed. He ran a hand through his hair anxiously as he told me what Nicholas had been sent to say.

"The Volturi have told us that we must turn a certain someone into them, or they'll kill the rest of our family. They're interested in that certain person's power, thinking it could be of great use to them." I swallowed against the huge lump that had formed in my throat. I was shaking, but my eyes would never leak tears.

"Who?" I asked, needing to know which of my siblings I was going to die for. Edward's eyes looked pained, as he answered me slowly, as if I might lose it if he told me things too fast.

"They want you." My head reeled, but I was relieved that my family wasn't at risk. If it came down to it, I would simply give myself up to save everyone else.

"But I have no powers?" My statement came out as a question, as I wondered why they would want me for my powers if I had none. Edward nodded solemnly, and I looked at him hard.

"What do you mean, yes?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He looked as though he would be throwing up were he a human, and he clutched me closer as if to assure himself that I was real.

"Well," he began, but I cut him off.

"Are you saying that I _do_ have a power? That everyone has been hiding the truth from me for over seventy years?" My voice is quiet, colored with despair. Betrayal is prominent in my feelings, and it makes me feel sick. He nodded again, looking for all the world like he was about to start sobbing. He began to speak quickly, clutching me tightly to his chest, stroking my hair.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I should have told you earlier. We all should have, but we thought you would feel guilty if you knew, and we all love you too much to let you do that to yourself, and I love you so much more than I ever thought was possible, and…" he trailed off. I placed my finger over his lips and looked into his eyes.

"Edward," I asked, my voice shaky, "what exactly is my power?"

"Bella," he told me, "when you touch someone, they can't use their power." I sigh, not seeing how bad it was until Edward verified. "That would be highly beneficial to the Volturi."

"Oh, yah." I realized, numbness filling my being. "I suppose it would."


	3. Running, jumping, flying

In a fog, we walked slowly back into the school. I was still wondering over my newfound power. Still feeling betrayed that no one had mentioned it to me before. I supposed, though, that I probably should have guessed something along similar lines before then. After all, it had seemed that whenever I held Edward's hand, whenever I kissed him, caressed him, sat on his lap even, he the silent conversations that usually went on between him and Alice became vocal. Alice, too, hadn't been able to use her power correctly whenever I was touching her. Last time I had leapt up to hug her and beg her to tell me when we would next be able to play baseball, she had merely shrugged and said in a goofy voice,

"You'll just have to wait and see." It was so obvious to me now, that I felt dim for not having noticed it before.

"Edward?" I asked, my voice scarcely a whisper. The bass from the music was becoming deafening as we approached the gymnasium, but he could still hear me perfectly.

"Yes, love?" His musical voice was thick with anxiety, giving it a rough undercurrent.

"Why me?" Though my question was vague, Edward knew instantly what I meant. He stopped, cupping my chin to bring my gaze up to his own.

"Well," he considered. "Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie lack the kinds of powers that the Volturi want. They could really care less about compassion, beauty and restraint," he muttered, disgust coloring both his tone and his expression. I nodded slightly. In their line of work, compassion would slow them down, restraint wasn't necessary, and they already had other vampires working the 'fishing' role, as they'd so carelessly called it.

"But what about everyone else?" I asked him, wondering what exactly made my specific power the most desirable for the Volturi.

"I couldn't read that despicable creatures mind, as you happened to be touching me the entire time we were in his proximity, so I don't have an answer for you, Bella." His voice had morphed into an angry tone, and he quieted himself quickly. "I'm sorry," he said, more gently as he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. I shook my head violently, not about to let him blame yet another thing on himself.

"Edward," I said, savoring the way saying his name made my un-beating heart sing, "I should have figured out my power long before now, so none of this is your fault." He gave me a contradictory look, but let it drop. Mostly.

"You're wrong," he exclaimed fiercely, placing a finger gently over my lips when I parted them to speak. "But I won't fight you on it tonight. We're at the prom after all, and I have the most beautiful date here." Were I still human, my cheeks would have flushed an embarrassing shade of crimson. I wasn't human, though, so I settled for playful teasing to break the tense mood instead.

"The most beautiful in this school?" I asked, false innocence coloring my tone. Edward flashed me a crooked grin, and I could swear I felt my un-beating heart pound frantically.

"By far."

"In the city?"

"Most definitely." He placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"In the country?"

"Absolutely." Another gentle kiss went on my cheek.

"In the world?" A long silence, only interrupted by the constant noises coming from the gym, stretched between us as Edward pretended to ponder this.

"I suppose," he answered, flashing me a wry grin.

"You suppose?" My attempt at a hurt look failed, as a giggle escaped my pursed lips. Edward's musical laugh put mine to shame, as he joined in. With a final kiss, this time on the lips, we linked arms and continued on into the prom, determined to think about everything else later.

We return to the dance floor, dancing once again with my feet balanced on Edward's. As Alice and Jasper spun past, I leaned out to ask her a question that had been nagging at my mind.

"What are we going to do?" When they passed by again a few seconds later, she replied,

"I'll know once you know."

Edward and I were riding in the Vanquish on our way home, when I realized what it was that I had to do. I didn't like it much, but it kept my family safe. Seconds after my epiphany, Edward's cell-phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket, but before he could answer it, I swiped it and answered myself.

"Don't say anything, Alice," I threatened.

"Bella," she yelled, her voice sharp and demanding, "you can't do that!" I sighed heavily, feeling Edward's inquiring eyes on my face as I conversed with his easily excitable sister.

"I can and I will," I promised. Just before I hung up, her voice sounded shrilly from the phone.

"Don't go…" I snapped it shut, making a split second decision. I disliked my new course of action even more then I hated my original, but it couldn't be helped.

"Bella, what…" Edward began to ask, his face contorting in pain. I was out before he could finish his question.

In one swift movement, I quickly opened and slide out the door, taking off in the opposite direction towards the sound of running water. When I arrived at the large river a few seconds later, I could hear that Edward was not far behind. Thinking quickly, I dug my heel into a sturdy boulder on the rivers edge, throwing myself back the way I'd come. When Edward leapt the rushing water, there would be no trace of me. I was going to disappear. What's more, I still had his phone with me, so Alice couldn't help him with direction. I dropped the thin, silver mobile, and smashed in with the heel of my shoe easily. Leaving the pieces where they were, I rocketed off in the direction of the nearest airport.

Upon arrival, I bought a single ticket for a direct flight off a man for four times it's worth, and boarded the departing plane. The rumble of the engine started up minutes after I'd sat down, and I focused on the hypnotizing melody to keep my thoughts occupied. The flight went by quickly, too quickly, and soon I was in a city neighboring Volterra. Not bothering to steal a car, I simply ran along the roads, vaguely familiar from my impossibly foggy human memories.

There was no festival this time, making the city strangely quiet. There was the occasional shuffling of footsteps from several streets away, and the fountain that had saved me before burbled merrily. The Volturi's castle loomed ominously above the town, and I raced up to the gated entrance I remembered leaving through the last time I was here. There seemed to be no one watching the gate, so I called out,

"Aro, It's Bella. I've come to join you!"


	4. Warm Welcomes Gone Sour

The air was deathly still, and for a moment I wished fervently that I could take back what I'd just said. Then, I reminded myself that I was here for my family's sake, strengthening my wavered resolve.

"Bella, dear, do come in," offered a warm and welcoming voice from behind me. It struck up terrifying memories from my human past, and it took all of my willpower not to flee from this desolate place. I pulled my head up and down mechanically as the steel gates opened slowly, seemingly without the help of someone working them. I took step after tentative step until I was through the door and into a familiar lobby.

A human woman sat behind the desk, looking for all the world how a human trapped in a castle full of bloodthirsty vampires should NOT look. She was calm, detached, reminding me sickeningly of the last young woman I ever saw seated there. Of course, they had disposed of her at one time or another. I ground my teeth together in a mixture of fury and disgust for these human drinkers.

The thought of the last receptionist's disposal (I couldn't recall her name from one of my more faded memories over seventy years later) brought up an important question.

What was I going to eat?

The very idea of ending some poor human's life merely because I, a sadistic vampire, was thirsty was out of the question. I'd never broken my family's vegetarian way, and I wasn't planning on doing so now. Somehow, I would have to convince the members of the Volturi to let me out when I needed to hunt. For example, right now. The receptionist's scent had venom pooling in my mouth where it painfully scorched my skin. I swallowed it down as quickly as I could, fighting the urge to wince as it burned its way down my throat. It was a little late to be considering such a question now that I was inside. I realized I maybe should have thought things through _before_ literally taking the first flight possible to Italy.

Fear had begun to claw away at my empty stomach, the towering stone walls making this dreary place feel more like a prison then a home.

"It's so nice to see you, Bella!" enthused Aro, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"It's nice to see you too, Aro," I lied, crossing my fingers behind my back briefly. I turned to look at Aro, logic having just struck home. Why didn't I ask the most welcoming member of the Volturi all of my questions before the more hostile two made an appearance? I shuddered at the memory of their cold, analytical eyes.

"Aro," I asked hesitantly, sampling words in my mind until I was sure I had the phrasing correct, "why did you pick me over the rest of the Cullen's?" His eyes glinted maliciously, a frightening reminder that he wasn't the kind houseguest he appeared to be.

"Because, dear Bella," he explained, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I fought the urge to gag. "We don't require their powers any longer." He paused before adding, "And though I respect Carlisle and his family a great deal, I'm afraid they wouldn't quite agree to what I'm about to ask of you."

"What do you want to ask?" My voice shook nervously, and I swallowed forcefully as venom arose in my mouth, a reaction to my 'fight or flight' emotions that were currently boiling in my brain, fogging my thoughts ever so slightly.

"Don't worry," he assured me, his attempt at a gentile tone coming choppy and threatening. "We would merely like to request your help, Bella, with installing a more solid obedience within certain vampires." His wording was obviously off, because I knew that by 'request,' he meant order. I doubted the Volturi's form of discipline would be anything humane, but I nodded anyways. I would keep my family safe, no matter the cost.

"I'm glad that I will be allowed the privilege to work alongside such a beautiful young vampire," Aro murmured, stroking my cheek with a papery finger. It took all I had by means of willpower not to pull away sharply from his touch, which was cold, even to me.

"Jane!" he called out, conjuring a bad mental image in my mind, a memory. Edward writhed on the cool stone floor, agony clear on his features at Jane's relentless glare. The young girl appeared seemingly out of thin air, grinning happily until her gaze rested on me. Her smile wavered as Aro instructed her to lead me to the nearby woods, his reasoning that I would like to feast on animal blood, my hunger uncomfortable at this very moment.

"Wait," I said, peering suspiciously at Aro, "I never said anything about feeding. How did you…?"

"Oh!" Aro cooed, a 'whoops, I forgot' expression forcefully pasted across his features. "I forgot to introduce you to Kristy." He turned his head to face a tall, slender vampire with chocolate colored skin, who hadn't been there a second ago. His hand was placed, seemingly casual upon the bare skin of her arm, but I suspected he was reading her thoughts.

"She's the reason we no longer require Alice nor Edward," he explained excitedly. It took a minute for me to work out the clues, but once I did, I realized that I had a huge problem.

"You can read minds and see into the future?" I asked the girl. Her body seemed to be frozen around the same age as my own.

"Yes," she replied proudly.

"Wow," I exclaimed. _Great, that means…_

"It means you've been caught," she finished, earning a look of shock from everyone in the room. _How could she read my mind? I thought it had some sort of block on it._

"Really? Hm, interesting," she exclaimed, a bored look playing across her face as she stared at me blankly. Obviously, it wasn't really interesting to her at all. She nodded absently, then told Aro, who had removed his hand from her skin, to listen to what I've been planning. After a mere second, I was shooting for the exit. Kristy was faster than me, grabbing my arm and throwing me roughly to the ground. She pinned me down as I struggled in vain. Escape was just within my reach, but this strong girl held me from it. A sad look enveloped Aro's features, and he looked as though he would cry if he could.

"Bella," he asked, despair heavy in his voice. "Why would you betray us? I thought we were going to be great partners, but I suppose I've been wrong before." His defeated expression lasted for a few tense seconds longer, before being replaced by one so furious, I didn't know if I would have felt safe in even Edward's arms. _Of course I would have. I _always _feel safe with Edward holding me._

"How touching," mocked Kristy, her death grip still very much in use. I couldn't move even an inch. "Our little friend here has got a special someone she'd love to see." Aro's eyes turned thoughtful, the rage still apparent in his posture. I screamed, fear flooding my every sense. It wasn't hard to see how Aro was planning on extracting revenge.

"Then we'll just have to tell him that," he decided, his spiteful words flooding my heart with pain.

I was too numb to really notice as he ordered Kristy to lock me in a bedroom. _As if I couldn't get out of there._ Aro, who still had his hand placed on Kristy, didn't miss my snide remark.

"With at least three guards constantly patrolling the perimeter," he added, grinning maliciously. Who was this vampire, and where had he locked up kind and patient Aro? He shook his head, still grinning madly as I was drug away. I gave no fight, praying only that Edward would ignore Aro's threats, and stay safe.


	5. Torture Through Death Of An Innocent

Sorry it's taken me so long to update, everyone. I've been sick, and though I knew what I was going to write, I didn't have the details straight in my mind enough so that I could write them down. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though.

_Also, I'd like to thank _**Reader13lovesbooks** _for their many, continuous and supportive reviews. You've really helped by keeping my inspiration alive. Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed, as well. I really appreciate your support, everyone._

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_Wish granted_, I thought bitterly, willing my body still against the appetizing scent that permeated the air. _It's been over three weeks, and no Edward._ There was no escape from the torture as Marcus stood by, looking relatively bored, with a living, breathing human clutched within his grasp. The young man's blood sang appealingly to my scorching throat, tempting me to take his life right here, right now. His fear amplified and increased the speed of his heartbeat, making it even more difficult to resist his blood.

It became apparent to me that after over four weeks of not feeding, I wasn't going to last long in this poor victims presence. Against my better judgment, I allowed myself a deep whiff of the air swirling around me. Fire blazed through my esophagus as his scent became too much, and I leapt at him in an animalistic frenzy.

Strong hands gripped me from behind and I growled in frustration, whipping around to confront Felix who was grinning at me sadistically. I lunged backwards in an attempt to sink my teeth into him, but I was no match. He had just feasted on aromatic human blood approximately one hour ago, judging by the fresh scent of blood drifting from his open mouth. I immediately stopped breathing, intent on continuing my fast to my own accord. Ashamed at what I had been about to do, I let my body fall limp.

I heard a sickening crack as Marcus broke the frightened man's neck, and I struggled to keep from breathing. Glancing up briefly, I witnessed Marcus digging into his dinner before I brought my gaze down once again.

_Edward,_ I thought miserably, _I miss you._ A ripping pain shot through me, and I glanced up quickly to determine who had stolen a piece of me. _Oh,_ I realized less than a second later. I recognized the pain, the gaping hole that had once tried, and nearly succeeded in swallowing me whole over seventy years ago. It was the same pain as the time Edward had left me so long ago. I vaguely recalled the numbness I had been able to achieve through the thick fog that veiled my human memories, and fought to reenact the protective apathy. The room around me lost focus, the sounds became background noise, and the hole in my chest became second to the burn at my throat, which I managed to ignore, more or less.

It was a sound that awakened me from my comatose state. Several sounds, actually. A distant growling, a louder yelling, a voice. The voice is what caught my attention, for it could only belong to an angel.

"Edward?" My voice was shockingly weak—I hadn't used it in so long I'd forgotten the volume necessary to be heard—and I raised my volume as loud as it could go.

"Edward?" It was louder, but more frightened. Edward wouldn't be able to fight off the Volturi guard on his own, or with the help of the family. There were so many more of them, hundreds more, even.

"Bella!" his voice called, full of rage while still managing to hold a certain percent of tenderness for my benefit. Enraged pounding—footsteps—cut through the air from what seemed to be the entrance of the castle, growing louder and louder as they neared. Then my door was crashing down, and I was grabbed up in familiar arms. I fought and struggled as Demetri pinned me to the wall by the shoulders, his mouth inching closer and closer to my neck.

Even though I knew I was mere seconds away from being decapitated, I couldn't bring myself to fight back very hard. Were I better fed, I would have been able to throw him off easily, but in my weakened state I was no match to his brute strength. A choked sob escaped me as I realized that I would never get to see Edward's face again. I longed to run my fingers through his bronze hair, to lose myself in his honey toned eyes, to be held close to his solid body while he whispered sweet nothings into my hair.

The restraining hand was gone quite suddenly, and I was sure that it was the end—I had died. I didn't fight back as I was once again grabbed roughly and held tightly. This time, however, the arms that held me still were familiar in a good way, the scent relaxing, intoxicating. I looked up and found myself staring into the same honey-golden eyes I had been dreaming about ever since I had been taken prisoner.

I fiercely buried my face into the hollow of his neck, sobbing brokenly. No tears graced my coal-black eyes as I wished they would.

"Bella," he sighed, breathing deeply against the top of my head in a way that I had dearly missed. Clutching him as tightly as I could, I proceeded to stammer out numerous apologies.

"I love you," I whispered finally, ending my rant.

"As I love you," he murmured soothingly, stroking my cheek gently with his fingertips. I had only just melted into his touch when I was violently jerked away by my arms. A cry of protest shot from my lips as I found myself held back by Kristy.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," she chastised, sounding as a person would when explaining something to a three-year-old, "you don't want to ruin our fun, now do you?" Edward snarled from across the room, where he was being held back by both Demetri and Felix, who seemed to be having a hard time holding on to him. He had obviously heard what they meant by fun, and I cringed at the memory of their teasing me over blood that had been going on for weeks, steadily becoming crueler as I weakened.

I turned my attention to Kristy, determined to formulate a plan. Her face was contorted in concentration and confusion, as she glared ruthlessly at Edward.

"You happen to be in close proximity with your problem," he smirked, throwing me a wink. I paused for a moment, questioning his sanity briefly. I'm pretty sure Kristy and I thought of the same thing at the exact same moment. I threw my arms and legs up to wrap around her in a vice grip as she struggled futilely to dislodge me. Ignoring the sharp pains of breaking and healing ribs, I clung to her tightly.

"Not so sure of yourself without your power, are you?" I taunted. She called me a not-so-nice name under her breath, which was enough, I guess, to set Edward off. The vampires that had been holding him previously were air born without the slightest clue as to how they had gained such altitude, Kristy's head simultaneously cracking against the stone wall. I kept as tight a grip on her arm as I could while Edward beat her around like a punching bag, until I was grabbed from behind by a ticked off Felix, and thrown at the doorway. My upper back caught the doorframe, snapping my spine painfully. While I waited for the excruciating pain to subside, signaling that I was up to helping Edward once again, I was completely useless.

Keeping my focus intently on the battle, I noticed when Felix made his mistake. He came an inch too close to me, giving me the chance to be useful. I gripped his ankle securely, bringing him to the ground. Having no special abilities, my power seemed to have a unique effect on Felix, draining the strength from his muscles and rendering him as useless as a rag doll.

With one last resonating pop, my back was completely healed, and I pulled myself up, still keeping a firm hold on Felix. As Demetri rocketed through the air towards Edward's exposed back, I quickly flung Felix into the air. He regained his strength immediately upon losing contact with my skin, but by that time it was too late. The force with which I had thrown Felix sent them both falling out of the window that they usually stood guard at.

I raced quickly over to Edward, forcing him to let go of his grip on a battered Kristy, and pulled him out the door by his hand.

"We can't go downstairs," he reminded me.

"Hold on, let me think," I pleaded, rubbing my temples hard with my fingers. "This way." I pulled him suddenly to the right, into what was seemingly another bedroom. Letting go of his hand, I propelled myself forward and out the window. Even though we were twenty stories off the ground, I had no worries about landing safely as I positioned my feet for landing. Edward's landing made little more sound than a sock being dropped, only seconds after my own.

We took off running, leaping the high city wall when we reached it, leaping over the highway and barreling towards the airport. We stopped between adjacent dumpsters out back, but after a second of silence, Edward had bad news.

"The next flight's not for hours," he announced bitterly, "we'll just have to swim." I nodded silently, and we were off once again.

"So this is going to take…" I trailed off, waiting for Edward to finish my statement.

"At least four days." His voice was deathly quiet, striking up desperation deep within me. There was a long silence, but not in the least awkward. We reveled in each other's presence, drinking the other in, making up for lost time.

"Where's the rest of the family?" I asked, panicked suddenly.

"Relax, Bella," he assured me, a hint of amusement coloring his words, "they're back at the house." Before I could ask why they had let him come alone, he told me. "Alice saw that everything would work out when I first made plans to go in alone. She helped me reassure everyone." I nodded, the pieces all fitting together in my mind finally.

"You need to feed," Edward stated, stopping suddenly to stare into my eyes. My throat throbbed uncomfortably, and I nodded once. His finger tips traced the dark circles under my eyes tenderly before he pressed his lips to mine firmly. He let his lips linger for a moment, before pulling away to stare into my eyes, his forehead braced on mine.

"Let's go." Lacing his fingers through mine, Edward sprinted off towards the west and I followed, enjoying the way his fingers felt through mine, anchoring my sanity in place. I may have needed to hunt, but my thirst wasn't what was on the forefront of my mind. For now, at least, we were safe and together.


	6. Powers Can Be Good Fun

The familiar house loomed before me invitingly. Breathing a sigh of relief, I stepped through the door, Edward's hand firmly holding my own. I was immediately ambushed by several frantic vampires. Alice, Emmett and Esme all lifted me off the floor in a group bear hug.

"Bella," Esme whispered fiercely, "what were you thinking?" Her tone held an edge of hysteria, and I tried futilely to calm her frazzled nerves. My warm welcome was cut short when Alice's eyes fogged over quite suddenly. We all gathered round my elder sister, anxious as to what she was seeing.

"Alice," I gently murmured, tentatively extending my arm to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Her eyes refocused slowly, and she smiled in a way that way obviously forced. I looked back to ask Edward what she had seen, but he was in the process of letting out an irritated growl. No help there. "What did you see, Alice?" I asked, having a pretty good idea of the basic direction that her vision would be taking. It would most likely consist of the Volturi's rage, and their plans of revenge.

"Bella," she urged me frantically. "You need to follow me. Now." I nodded silently, anxiety pooling in my empty stomach. Without another word she shot out the door and into the nearby woods with me close on her heels. She didn't stop running for miles until, I assumed, none of the family would be able to hear what we were saying. She seemed to be concentrating on her surroundings intensely for a moment, then she sighed. Her posture was tense, a sure sign that her vision had, in fact, been a bad one.

Alice focused her butterscotch eyes on mine, daring me to look away.

"What happened to each Volturi member because of your power?" she questioned seriously. "Do you remember?" I nodded slowly, sorting through memories of the past two days since I first showed up in Volterra.

"First," I remembered, "Kristy couldn't read minds or see into the future, then Felix lost his strength…" I trailed off, confused. "But why didn't my power do that the first time I touched Felix?" Alice gave me a look that showed how little she presently thought of my intelligence, and explained for me.

"Now, this is only a theory," she cautioned me, sending my curiosity off the radar. I nodded sharply, eager to understand the power I had waited to know for over seventy years, "but I think it may be because the first time you touched him, it wasn't you who initiated the contact, as he grabbed you from behind. The second time, you grabbed his leg when he was jumping, remember?" I nodded, everything making sense now. Well, _almost_ everything.

"Alice, how did you…" She cut me off by placing a finger to her lips. Then, she brought up her index and middle fingers on her right hand to tap her temple once, a knowing grin on her face. I smiled back, not realizing until then how much I had missed the simple action of bringing the corners of my mouth up to honestly express emotion. I had a sudden idea, and launched myself at Alice, gripping her arm before she had a chance to see it.

"Bella!" she scolded irritably. "What are you doing?" I widened my eyes at her innocently, and proceeded to drag her back to the house where I would begin initiating my plan.

"Sorry, sis," I apologized, throwing in 'sis' in an attempt to soften her up. It seemed to work, as she finally stopped fighting the vice grip I had taken her arm in. "I _would_ tell you, but I'm afraid Edward would catch you off guard and hear what I'm about to do in your mind," I explained, earning myself an enthusiastic nod from Alice.

Once we arrived back to the house, Edward was immediately at my side, a growl brewing in his chest when I decided it would work out better to hang onto his arm and let Alice in on my idea.

"Oh, come on," I teased jovially, pulling him up to our room. Alice cackled evilly, and I wondered for a moment whether telling her had been the right idea. I quickly dismissed the notion, and hurried past Rosalie and Emmett's room (from where suspicious noises were emanating) and into Edward's and mine.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, pinching the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger on his hand that I wasn't clinging to. "Judging by odds and noises, I am very much enjoying this unexpected silence that you're gracing me with." He flashed me a crooked grin, and it was all I could do not to let go of his arm to access his mouth better. Refrain I did, though. "I wonder though," he mused quietly, concern coloring his velvety voice, "why you are choosing to keep my family's thoughts secret. I'm guessing that because you were holding Alice when you walked in, you must be very determined to not let me know something." I opened my mouth to marvel at his logic and deduction, but he continued speaking. "Based on past experiences, a lot of the time when you decide to block me out, it's because you don't want to worry me for one reason or another. Very rarely is it good news that you go to such lengths to keep good news a secret."

Giving me an analytical look, he ended his assumptions and studied me for clues.

"You're right," I admitted, fighting back a grin that threatened to overtake my face. I was surprised when Edward didn't immediately see the traitor vibration in my lips, but judging by the anxious expression creasing his features, he had a lot on his mind now. I reached out with my free hand, gently rubbing my hand over his face to relieve the stress lines that had momentarily appeared. They wouldn't stay, but they still bothered me.

"I do have bad news," I announced, quickly telling him said news before he could freak out and break a window or two. Esme wasn't too pleased with me last time I purposely riled him up that way, though she tried to hide her disappointment. "The bad news is that I'm not going to tell you what I'm hiding from you." I finally let the smile I'd been fighting free, and Edward visibly relaxed.

"I'll bet I know how to get you to tell," he said, a sly look gracing his perfect face. Before I had a chance to back away, his lips were on mine, slowly torturing me. I refused to give in to temptation, but it wasn't as if I could let go of his arm. So, I pushed away slightly and called in a conversational volume,

"Emmett, would you mind coming here and keeping Edward from kissing me?" Emmett appeared, seemingly out of nowhere less than a second later, a patronizing grin aimed at Edward.

"Sure, Bella," he promised, grabbing Edward in a headlock, and laughing when Edward snarled menacingly. "What did you do, bro?" Emmett teased, confident with Edward incapacitated. "Don't tell me you tried to take advantage of her?" I nodded sourly, and Emmett just laughed.

"Wow," Rosalie's voice came from the doorway. "Do you want to paint Edward's nails, Alice?" she called down the hall. Alice's excited, pixie like face appeared in the doorway, followed closely by the rest of the family, all of whom were wearing amused looks on their faces.

"Please, no," Edward groaned, struggling hard against Emmett and I. He turned his pleading gaze to me, and I almost cracked, but then I caught sight of Alice's joyful face, and forced myself to look away from Edward.

"Have fun, Rosalie, Alice."


	7. Aren't They Supposed To Be Dead?

**AN. I'm so sorry! I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've been so busy lately. On top of my crowded schedule, I'm experiencing a major writers block. This is a short update, and if you would comment that would help me so much! I'll be writing one-shots until I get back my inspiration for this story, so it may be awhile until I update! I'm sorry!**

"_That_ was your big plan?" Edward asked skeptically, raising a perfect eyebrow in disbelief. I nodded, snorting unattractively at the shiny pink polish coating his nails. I had forbidden him from removing it until tomorrow, not about to make him completely lose his dignity by wearing pink nail polish to school. As Edward had pointed out, though, he simply wouldn't have gone to school had he not been allowed to remove it before so it was really moot point anyways.

"Isabella, you are the most confusing creature I've ever met," he marveled, his intense gaze turning my legs to mush. Were I human, a rosy blush would have colored my fair skin by now. His bright topaz eyes brimmed with curiosity and awe for a moment, but then quickly were filled with fear.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked, grabbing his hand reassuringly. He pulled his hand from my grip, and I looked up at him in hurt confusion.

"I can't hear Alice when you do that," he explained gently, grabbing my hand once again. "Now I can, though." It was going to take awhile for me to be used to this whole, 'touch someone they lose their power, someone touches me they're unaffected' thing.

"What did she see?" I asked anxiously, the haunted look in Edward's eyes having shaken me to the bone. He shook his head slowly, as if trying to shake out the memory of Alice's vision.

"Nothing," he assured me, though it was obvious that it wasn't just nothing that had him so worried. "It's just," he amended, pausing for a long time in hesitation. I hugged him reassuringly, and he seemed to relax under my touch. "It's just that…" He stopped talking suddenly, and tensed in my grip. His body quivered, and I could hear his breathing increase to an inhuman rate.

"Edward!" I yelled, gripping him tighter. "Edward, what's wrong?" A loud yell seemed to wrench it's way out of his chest as his body began to convulse sporadically.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet my friend, Elizabeth," came a sickly sweet voice from behind me.

"Jane, stop it!" I shrieked, spinning around and diving at her. I was stopped by what felt like a solid wall, and felt my body being thrown into the wall. I continued through, crashing into the river a good hundred yards from the house. Sputtering angrily, I sprinted back to the house and leapt up and through the hole left in my wall, only to find my whole family on the ground in obvious pain. _How does the Volturi manage to hide some of their members from us when we have Alice,_ I wondered to myself.

"What is she doing?" I asked Jane, disgusted. I motioned to the older girl with fiery hair and sparkling crimson eyes. Jane giggled maniacally before explaining,

"This here is my old friend. I don't believe anyone here has met her before, but dear little Edward over there." She waved her arm in a dismissive manner towards a pained Edward. "She can duplicate anyone's power if she's touching them, only she can make it ten times more powerful." I wasn't quite as interested about that detail than of the thing Jane mentioned before.

"What do you mean Edward is the only one who knows her?" I asked, confused. Elizabeth leaned over and, keeping a hand on Jane, touched Alice as well. Her eyes briefly glazed over, and she smiled.

"Dear Edward will be explaining any time now. Actually, in exactly eight and twenty-nine thirtieths seconds to be exact." I looked over at Edward, who raised his head and gazed at Elizabeth with dazed eyes, still fighting against obvious agony.

"Oh my god," I mumbled dazedly, the resemblance suddenly hitting me like a thousand pounds would a human. "Please don't tell me she's Elizabeth…"

"Mom! Stop it!" Edward pleaded suddenly, eyeing the older woman sadly.

"…Masen," I finished lamely.

"Isn't she supposed to be dead?" came Emmett's strained voice from his place on the floor.

"Yah," I confirmed, my mind swimming in confusion. "Yes, she's supposed to be dead, Emmett."

"Oh she's dead," Jasper added sarcastically, "just not in the way that we thought." Edward's voice held confusion and hurt simultaneously.

"Mom?"


	8. Where's The Fun In Easy?

The thick silence clogging the room was uncomfortable at best, painful at worst. I, personally, was leaning towards the worst end of things.

"Elizabeth," asked Carlisle, sounding more on edge than I believe I'd ever heard him, "not that it isn't a pleasure, but why are you here?"

"Do I really need a reason to visit my son?" she asked teasingly, eyeing Edward once before glancing away from him dismissively.

"After more than one-hundred and fifty years, yes, I believe you do," I found myself saying. Her eyes focused on me intently. The way she seemed to be sizing me up reminded me of how I looked at my prey. My instincts kicked into high gear at the threat in her piercing glare, and I growled low in my chest, moving too-quickly for human eyes to stand in front of Edward protectively. On auto-pilot, my body associated the people around me with titles, not names or emotions, and was quickly prioritizing who to protect.

Those on the floor were family, important to protect I decided quickly. The two that remained standing were to be taken out promptly, but most importantly was the one I stood before. _Mate_ my body screamed, ready to lash out at anyone who threatened him. _Love,_ called my heart. _Edward, Edward, Edward._ My heart and body seemed to be in agreement that Edward was by far the most important to protect, although their reasons weren't entirely the same.

"Bella, it's okay," soothed Alice, only serving to irritate me. I snarled at her, crouching lower in front of Edward, assuming the same position he had taken more than seventy years ago in that ally way in the depths of Volterra. The hurt that flashed across Alice's face snapped me back to attention, and I straightened, slightly embarrassed by my behavior.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I don't like it when someone messes with my family."

"What she meant was that she doesn't like it when someone messes with Edward," I heard Emmett hiss to Rosalie, his tone teasing. A loud slap filled the air as she him in response.

"Ow! Baby, what was that for?" he whimpered, rubbing his skull.

"You are so whipped," mumbled Jasper, earning him a stern look from Esme that seemed to be covering up a smile, and a small chuckle from Edward. At the sound of his familiar laugh, I spun around and flew into his arms quickly, his tense muscles betraying how uptight he still was. His finger lightly traced the sides of my face before he spoke, his voice even and soft.

"I think it would be best if you left." My heart tore as those words left his lips, but quickly healed as I realized that those words weren't directed at me, rather at Elizabeth. I didn't look to see her reaction, but what I could hear of it was colorful. My eyes never strayed from Edward's face as he smiled at me reassuringly, then pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. It took all I had not to jump him, but somehow I resisted.

"Ah!" I cry out, arching my back sharply as something hot hits me square between my shoulder blades.

"Bella!" yells Edward, catching me as I fall. His hold is careful, gentle, and I squirm in agony as the mysterious heat spreads, consuming me in agonizing waves. It's the worst pain I've ever felt besides the pain of my change from human to vampire.

"Bella!" chorused a group of voices, the concern in their tones extremely noticeable. It went deathly silent in the room quite suddenly, and I strained my ears to hear even the unnecessary breathing of my family.

"My dear son didn't know what he was thinking," a sickly sweet voice announced, sliding through my head like an icy current. I childishly put my hands over my ears, not wanting to live through my greatest fear; the fear of the truth. "You aren't worth his time you stupid child." It seemed that Elizabeth Masen was indeed speaking within the confines of my skull, for my hands seemingly had no effect.

"Stop it," I moaned, the fire in my body flaring up sickeningly. I cried out as my legs seemed to snap, but when I glanced down I saw them to be perfectly alright. My eyes squeezed themselves shut, and I cowered against Edward's chest, whimpering pathetically.

"He doesn't really love you," she goaded, seeming to know and expose my weaknesses.

"No," I moaned softly, the pain in my voice evident. "No!" I screamed as I began to thrash against the iron grip that locked me in place.

"Get out!" I screamed aloud, cursing the mother of my husband mentally.

"Stop it!" I heard Jasper groan. I looked over sympathetically as he doubled over in pain. "You're hurting her!" he choked between gasping breaths. Our arms gripped our sides simultaneously, as he began to thrash much to the protest of a certain pixie-like vampire.

"What are you doing?" roared Edward, pulling me as close as he could while attempting to still my thrashing appendages.

"He hates you for being so weak." It echoed through my head, and I immediately froze my body with all my strength. Even though I hated to admit it, she was right in a way. I had to be strong for Edward, I couldn't allow him to suffer from or resent me. Stiff as a board, I willed Jasper to not feel the same pain and that's when it occurred to me. I beckoned him over weakly, suppressing a scream as a new wave of pain washed over me.

"Stand up!" I urged, biting my lip hard.

"I can't," he groaned, shimmying across the floor. "We're stuck on the ground!" Nodding mutely, I reached out and touched Jasper's arm gently, keeping contact with his skin as his discomfort disappeared. He collapsed weakly, the guilt in his eyes powerful, and I nodded once to let him know it was okay. He shouldn't have to suffer with me; what was the point in that?

I turned slowly, flinching as wave after wave of agony knifed me, to face our attackers. I knew how I could free my family. The question was, would I be able to do it?


	9. Want To Hear, Need To Know

Gritting my teeth in pain I stepped gingerly away from Edward, and began walking towards Elizabeth. I was about three feet away from her when she seemed to realize I was up to something. Though I didn't think it possible, she kicked up the burning pain a notch and I dropped to the floor with a strangled gasp. Jasper twitched and cried out, as I had let go of him to get over here. Everyone else responded, even Elizabeth, and I suddenly had an idea.

"Sorry, Jasper," I choked out, fighting the urge to scream. I then concentrated on the intensity of the pain, and Jasper, seeming to catch on, projected his emotions mainly at Elizabeth. She let out a shocked gasp, and shut her eyes tightly against the pain that she was now causing herself. Her momentary distraction was all I needed to reach out and grab a hold of her bare ankle. Though she began repeatedly kicking me in the face, immediately the pain subsided, and my family members all leapt up from the floor.

Within a matter of a few mili-seconds, Elizabeth was pinned to the wall with me still clinging to her. She had stopped kicking me as soon as Emmet got a hold on her legs, and I was surprised she could still use them at all.

"It's your decision, Edward," said Carlisle from his spot behind her head. Before I knew what was happening I was ripped from Elizabeth's leg, and Edward had torn her to pieces.

"She's not my mother anymore," he growled, turning quickly and sweeping me up into his arms. I winced as my broken face repaired itself, but smiled reassuringly as Edward gazed down at me, worry creasing his brow.

"Nobody gets to hurt my little sister," said Emmet solemnly. "Not even my sort-of aunt!" We all laughed, and Edward let me down so we could carry the pieces to the yard. Edward volunteered whole-heartedly to start the fire and throw each piece of his mother into the flames, one at a time.

* * *

We were all sitting around the living room chatting and laughing, when I suddenly got an idea. Quickly, I grabbed Edward's arm before he could see what Alice was about to. He growled in frustration, but didn't fight back. Alice threw a hand over her mouth with a conspiratorial "oh," before ushering everyone out of the house to go hunting.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Edward's voice was laced with worry, his eyes scanning every inch of me as to be sure I was alright.

"Edward, you know you don't have to check me over," I told him. "I _am_ a vampire." He nodded and gave me a crooked smile. I slammed my mouth into his, catching him off guard. He moaned into my mouth, and kissed back fervently. I pulled back and settled myself into his lap carefully, pulling his arms around me from behind.

"I love you, Isabella Cullen," he whispered into my hair. I smiled, and replied,

"I love you too, Edward Cullen." I felt him bury his face into my hair, before he winced and dug his face in deeper.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"Emmet just thinks that we should be getting hot and heavy right about now," he whispered, turning his head and pressing his lips to the side of my neck. I lifted up my arm and placed my hand on his face. I was surprised when he retracted it, and turned my head to look at him.

"I think I would like to hear everything for a while," he told me softly. "If someone else comes to get you, I want to be ready for them." I leaned back, feeling his arms tighten around me as he whispered in my ear. "After all," he said, "words are there to be heard." I nodded in agreement, closing my eyes as the feeling of Edward enveloped me, flooding my senses.

"Yes," I agreed.

"Words are meant for listening."


End file.
